The Attributes of God - The Unchanging God - Psalm 102 (Sermon 5)

We live in a World Full of Change & Uncertainty

Sophisticated technological developments have radically changed our lifestyle .

• You only need visit Beamish Museum to see how radical the changes have been.
• New communications systems & faster transport make the world a much smaller place.

Ideological developments have changed the balance of power in the world.

• Governments are toppled and new ones established, sometimes overnight.
• Every day Newscasters tell about some new changes occurring in the world.
• One day it is test-tube babies, the next it is cloned sheep & genetically modified crops.

People change as well:

• One day we'll be in a good mood, the next day we'll be in a bad mood.

• One day we will be happy & elated, the next day we will be extremely sad & dejected.
• Nice people can sometimes become irritable & touchy;
• Fortunately, even morose & grouchy people can become nicer & happier.
• Changes like a loss of job or failing health can have devastating effects on people.

• Sometimes our sense of well being changes rapidly through loss of loved ones, or loss of money & material possessions.

Our physical bodies are always changing:

• Children grow at a very rapid rate, especially when you haven't seen them for a while.
• As we get older, our bodies begin to wear out;
• We begin to need hearing aids & walking sticks. We can't run around like we used to do

Change is one of the most threatening things most of us face in life:

• At times people find change unpleasant & even intimidating;

• Change must be accepted as an inevitable part of the very nature of human life.

• Even though we often struggle to cope with change, in the end we are compelled to accept the fact that we live in an ever-changing world & in an ever-changing body.

The Hymnwriter, Nahum Tate, learned this lesson way back in the 17^th Century, saying:

"Through all the changing scenes of life, In trouble and in joy.

The praises of my God shall still My heart and tongue employ."

The greatest comfort for the Believer living in these turbulent & troubled times is the confidence we have in OUR GOD who NEVER CHANGES:

• Theologians refer to this Attribute as the Immutability of God.

This is the Biblical Doctrine which refer to the Unchanging Nature of God.

Yet again, we'll see how the Lord taught people his Attributes

through the circumstances of life:

• Note how it was primarily in times of deep distress & turmoil that

God taught his people about his Unchangeable Nature.

1. King Saul learned this lesson about the Unchanging Nature of God, by being taught the hard way, that the Word of God is Unchanging.

• Saul had become the king of the great nation of Israel.
• God commanded Saul to lead the Israelites into battle against the Amalekites.

The command of God to Saul was clear (1 Samuel 15:2-3):

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did

to Israel when they waylaid them s they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the

Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them;

put to death men & women, children & infants, cattle & sheep, camels & donkeys.'"

• This was to be a punishment because of the time when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites on their way to the promised land;

• That was the occasion when the Israelites were winning so long as Moses held up his hands toward heaven (Exodus 17:8-16).

King Saul did not fully obey God's command (1 Samuel 15:7-9):

• He allowed Agag, king of the Amalekites, to remain alive.
• He allowed his warriors to keep the best of the sheep & cattle as spoils of war.
• We read how the Israelite army were "unwilling to destroy the Amalekites completely".

Because of Saul's disobedience, God took his kingdom away from him (15:22-26).

• Saul pleaded with God to change his mind & restore his kingdom to him.

• Saul admitted his sin and asked for forgiveness;
• He made a lame excuse, saying: "I was afraid of the people and gave into them" (15:24).

In this situation, the Lord God taught Saul a great Doctrinal Lesson. Samuel said:

"The Lord has torn the kingdom from you today and has given it to one of your

neighbours - to one better than you. He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or

change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind" (1 Sam 15:29).

The Lord God Almighty is the Immutable God - the Unchanging God.

• Therefore, he could not & would not alter his Word or change his Mind in order to reverse the judgement he had pronounced upon King Saul.
• Just like millions of people down through the ages, King Saul deliberately & wilfully disobeyed God's Word, hoping that God would not punish his sin.
• Saul did not take the sin of disobeying God's Word seriously;

He hoped that God would take his Word lightly by reversing his punishment..

• Our God is the Unchangeable God, who will always keep his Divine Word.

What is the implication of God's Unchanging Nature as it was revealed to Saul?

The underlying principle is that the Word of God is Unchanging.

• People everywhere must learn that God cannot & will not change his

Divine Commands & his Divine Retribution on those who disobey those commands

• The Lord God had given a direct command to King Saul and demanded his obedience.

• Saul disobeyed God's Word and had to face the consequence of losing his kingdom.

• Saul had to learn that "God does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man

that he should change his mind" (1 Samuel15:29).

Men often say things they do not mean, simply because they do not know their own mind.

• Men often change their minds and find that they can no honour what they said in the past
• Sometimes men have to eat their own words because hard facts have proved them wrong

But when God speaks, his Word is Eternally Unchangeable.

• God never speaks in error. And he never changes his mind.
• No circumstances cause God to recall his Word;
• No changes in his own thinking require him to amend his Word.
• His Word is settled & unchanging.

The Prophet Isaiah says:

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows them …

but the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:6-8).

The Psalmist proclaims (Ps 119:82 & 151-152):

Jim Packer says that the word translated as true or truth carries with it the idea of stability.

• This implies that all the promises, demands, & words of warning, which are found in the Old Testament Scriptures, remains in force in the New Testament era.

• These commands of God are not to be taken as relics of a bygone age.

• They are a valid revelation of the mind of God towards his people in all generations.

• The Psalmist says that God established his statutes to 'last forever.'
• Isaiah pronounces the same truth saying: "the Word of our God stands forever."
• The Lord Jesus himself said: "The Scripture cannot be broke" (John 10:35).
• Nothing can annul God's Eternal Truth.

We are considering the Unchanging Nature of God:

1. Saul learned that the Word of God is Unchanging and must be obeyed.

1. One of the Psalmists struggled with the changing circumstances of life,

and learned that the Life & Character of God are Unchanging.

• The inspired title of Psalm 102 says:

"A Prayer of the Afflicted, when he is faint, & pours out his lament before the Lord."

• This un-named Psalmist was in deep trouble & extremely distressed.
• He was facing some devastating changes in his life.
• This led him to reflect on the Unchangeableness of God in contrast to the

constantly changing nature & experience of man.

Listen to the turmoil of the Psalmist as he cries out in anguish to the Living God:

The writer begins by pleading with God to listen to his prayer (v1-2).

• He describes his depressing condition in the most graphic terms possible.
• This is a description of a man who is in a state of severe turmoil of heart.
• He is unable to rest & unable to eat;
• His life seems absolutely desolate & devoid of hope (v3-7).
• He is pursued relentlessly by his enemies, who express their absolute hatred of him (v8).
• He spends his days under a cloud of depressing circumstances;

He feels as though his whole life is one of withering & decay (v11).

What is the Psalmist's Great Hope in this time of constant Change & Turmoil?

• Is there anyone to hang on to when he is about to break under the storms of life?
• Is there anything solid, stable & unchanging in this world of constant change & decay?

There is only ONE ANSWER, which he refers to in v12-28:

"BUT YOU, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all

generations … In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens

are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will wear out

like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your

servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

Amidst all this change & turmoil, there is a God who will never cease to exist!

• The Psalmist's only Hope is in the God who is Eternal.
• In fact, says the Psalmist, He is more than Eternal; He is Absolutely Unchanging!
• Not only does our God Never Cease to Exist, he Never Changes!
• His meditation on his constantly changing & tumultuous circumstances,

leaves the Psalmist with only one source from which to draw Strength & Hope;

and that one source is the Eternal & Unchanging God.

• This man's circumstances had changed so drastically, his world was turned upside down;

The Psalmist meditates on the One who is Enthroned Forever. Through such meditation he learned that God's Nature, Purposes & Promises are Forever Unchangeable.

• The Heavens & the Earth, indeed, the whole of Creation, may perish;
• But the Purposes & Promises of God are Eternal & Unchanging.
• The Unchanging Nature of God prevents this Psalmist from falling into utter despair.
• He could find no hope in the miserable circumstances of God's people;

What is the implication of God's Unchanging Nature as it was revealed to the Psalmist? The Psalmist declares that the Life of God never changes (Ps 102:25-27):

"The earth, & the heavens … will perish, but you remain; your years will never end"

In another place the Psalmist (93:2) says:

"Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity."

The Apostle Paul speaks about:

"The Glory of the Immortal God … The King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is Immortal" (Romans 1:23 & 1 Timothy 6:16).

The Lord God himself, speaks through the Prophet Isaiah (48:12), saying:

"I am the first & I am the last."

Created things have a beginning and an ending, but not so their Creator.

• God was always there; He exists forever.
• He is always the same Eternal God, the Unchangeable One.
• He does not grow any older. His Life does not wax or wane.
• He does not mature or develop.
• He does not get stronger, or weaker, or wiser with the passage of time.

The Hymwriter, Walter Chalmers Smith, in his great hymn 'Immortal, Invisible' says:

"To all life Thou givest, to both great & small;

In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,

And wither and perish - but nought changeth Thee,"

The Psalmist also declares that the Character of God never changes:

The Psalmist says about the Lord God:

"Your renown endures through all generations. You will arise & have compassion on

Zion … You remain the same (Your Attributes Never Change)." (102:12-13 & 27).

The Lord God says about himself:

"I am that I am" (Exodus 3:14); This, of course is the name 'Yahweh'.

• This Name of God is simply a declaration of his self-existence.
• This Name of God tells us that he is Eternally Unchangeable.

This is why God said to Moses:

At the end of Moses' life, God spoke to him in the same way (Exodus 34:5-7):

• God still has the same character that he revealed to Moses about 3,000 years ago.

• The Life & Character of God are both Eternal & Unchangeable.

When the people of God were in exile, Jeremiah reminded them how God had said:

"I have loved you with an Everlasting Love;

I have drawn you with Loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Lord Jesus reminds us of this same love which is expressed to N.T. believers:

"Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the

full extent of his love - A.V. He loved them to the end" (John 13:1).

A W Pink sums up this teaching by saying:

"He cannot change for the better, for he is already perfect; & being perfect, he cannot

change for the worse … Whatever the Attributes of God were before the universe was

called into existence, they are precisely the same now, & will remain so forever. They

are the perfections, the essential qualities of his being. Always the same is written

across every one of them. His Power is unabated, his Wisdom undiminished, his

Holiness unsullied. The Attributes of God can no more change than deity cease to be."

We are considering the Unchanging Nature of God:

1. King Saul learned that the Word of God is Unchanging.
2. The Psalmist learned that the Life & Character of God are Unchanging.

1. The Prophet Malachi also taught God's people this lesson in very turbulent times

by telling them that the Purposes of God are Unchangeable:

People sometimes think that God Changes, especially when they experience times of trial.

• The people of Israel felt this way in the days of Malachi.
• The prophets warned that God would chasten his people because of their sin & rebellion.
• They assumed that such discipline was an indication that their God was Changing.
• They assumed that God was becoming more harsh & less fair.

Malachi predicted that the Messiah would come like a Refiner's Fire.

• He would come to pass judgement upon sinners (Mal 3:1-5).
• The people felt that this was a new kind of concept.
• They felt that God had Changed from a Loving, Covenant keeping God,

to a God of Wrath & Judgement!

Malachi reminds them that God had always been opposed to their sin & rebellion:

• This is an essential aspect of God's Nature.

Malachi reminds them that God has declared an Eternal Truth concerning his Nature:

"I the Lord do not change" (3:6).

• God is Unchangeably Holy & Righteous & Just;
• But he is also Unchangeably Merciful & Faithful.
• He promised Abraham that his seed would endure forever (Genesis 13:15);
• He cannot go back on his word, because he is the Unchangeable God.

Malachi reminds the people that, although the day of the coming Messiah will be a day of Wrath & Judgement, it will also be a day of Deliverance & Salvation.

• No one can endure the day of his coming, except through God's Grace & Mercy (3:2).
• The Messiah will come in Judgement, but he will also come to Purify his people,

and to make their Worship acceptable unto the Lord (3:3-4).

God 's Unchanging Nature is the reason why he doesn't consume his people with Fire "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed" (3:6).

• The people of Israel had sinned.
• Therefore, the Unchangeableness of God demands that he pronounces Judgement.
• However, it also means that God will follow through with his Promise of Salvation!

How can we find comfort from the dual truths of Judgement & Salvation?

• They come together in the coming of the Messiah and his Sacrifice on Calvary.
• On the Cross of Calvary, God the Father Judges Sin & Provides Salvation!
• Israel's Hope & the Gentiles' Hope is in the Cross of Christ.
• The Unchangeable Nature of God is a significant part of our Hope in Christ.

What is the implication of God's Unchanging Nature as it was revealed to the Psalmist ?

The underlying truth is that the Purposes of God are Unchangeable

• The people of God felt that Yahweh had changed his Purpose toward them.
• They were living in turbulent times in Exile, thinking that God no longer loved them.
• So they needed to learn that the Purposes of God are Unchangeable.
• Many centuries before, the Walls of Jericho spoke to them about Judgement & Salvation.

God had used the Babylonians to bring Judgement upon his people:

But, immediately, God says that his Ultimate Purpose was to bring Salvation & Blessing

Malachi reminds them that the message of the Messiah will be exactly the same:

• He will pronounce Wrath & Judgement on sinners, but he also brings a message of Deliverance & Salvation to all who trust in his Atoning Sacrifice on the Cross!

The Psalmist compares the Plans of Man with the Purposes of God, saying:

"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all

generations" (Ps 33:10-11).

Our human plans often change:

• Sometimes our plans are not very realistic and we must alter them.
• On other occasions other people will frustrate our plans.

But God's Purposes are perfect:

• God's Purposes stand firm on the solid rock of his Eternal & Unchangeable Nature.

• His purposes will always be carried out.
• Absolutely no one, not even all the forces of evil put together, can thwart God's Purposes

The writer to the Hebrews tells us how God confirms his Unchanging Purposes, saying:

"Because God wanted to make the Unchanging Nature of his Purpose very clear to

the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by

two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to

take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as

an anchor for the soul, firm & secure" (Hebrews 6:17-19).

God's Purpose & his Oath are Both Unchangeable:

• It is so comforting to know that God's Purposes for his people will never change.
• The Unchanging Purposes of God bring Hope for the People of God:

This is why the Apostle Paul could say:

"He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy & blameless in his

The message is clear:

• From Eternity to Eternity the Purposes of God are Absolutely Unchangeable.

We are considering the Unchanging Nature of God:

1. King Saul learned that the Word of God is Unchanging.
2. The Psalmist learned that the Life & Character of God are Unchanging.
3. Malachi taught God's People that his Eternal Purposes are Unchangeable.

1. In a time of persecution the writer to the Hebrews taught this SAME TRUTH to persecuted Jewish saints, by teaching them that Son of God is Unchangeable, and therefore, the grounds for the Assurance of Believers is Unchangeable

• The Messiah, who brought both Judgement & Salvation, is the Eternal Son of God,

who shares this Same Unchangeable Nature with his Father!

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome

of their life & imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday & Today &

Forever" (Heb 13:7-8).

• The Hebrews were tempted to renounce their faith & embrace Judaism once again.
• The writer of this Epistle constantly reminds them that the Old Mosaic Covenant was never intended to save them from sin.
• Rather, it pointed them to the New Covenant which was fulfilled in Christ.
• This New Covenant is a Superior Covenant to the Mosaic Covenant.
• Therefore, it should not be abandoned for a return to the Old Covenant.

The exhortation to follow in the footsteps of faithful men is followed by this reminder about the Unchangeable Nature of their Saviour:

"Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday & Today & Forever" (Heb 13:8).

• Who better to entrust our Salvation than the Eternal Son of God, who is Unchangeable.

This is the One of whom the writer to the Hebrews says:

"Because Jesus lives forever, he has a Permanent Priesthood. Therefore he is able to

save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to

intercede for them" (Heb 7:24-25).

Jesus is the Unchangeable One who possesses a Permanent & Unchangeable Priesthood.

• He provides a Complete & Unchangeable Salvation.
• He always intercedes for his people in an Unchanging Prayer - the Prayer of Salvation; the plea for Redemption because of his shed blood.

The writer goes on to say:

"Such a High Priest meets our needs"

• He meets our need once for all by his one sufficient sacrifice.
• The way he meets our need remains the same, just as our Saviour is always the same.

Do you get the message?

• Our God is an Unchangeable God who loves us so much that he sends his

Eternal & Unchangeable Son to provide an Eternal & Unchangeable Salvation,

through an Eternal & Unchangeable Sacrifice for sin.

• However, Salvation cannot be accomplished without upholding the

Unchangeable Nature of God's Holiness and Hatred of Sin;

• The Unchangeable Nature of Divine Justice must be satisfied, by ensuring that

sin is punished through the Unchangeable concept of Divine Judgement.

What is the implication of God's Unchanging Nature as it was revealed to the Hebrews?

The underlying truth is that the Son of God is Unchangeable and therefore the grounds for Assurance of Believers is Unchangeable

• The message of Hebrews is crystal clear:

• The fact that enabled Christ to accomplish an Eternal Redemption and provide us with a Permanent High Priest and an Eternal Salvation is this:

"Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday & Today & Forever" (Heb 13:8).

Today, the message of Hebrews still remains true:

"He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,

seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb 7:25).

• Just as God the Father never changes, our Saviour never changes.

The Unchangeable Nature of God the Son is the foundation for the Believer's Assurance

• Assurance provides stability & confidence in times of uncertainty & persecution.
• Because our God and our Saviour are Unchanging,

our Assurance of Salvation is Unchanging.

• We are citizens of a "Kingdom that cannot be shaken" (Heb 12:28).

The One who is the Unchangeable Son of God declares:

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal

life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father,

who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my

Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:27-30).